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IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Release No: 083-99March 02, 1999

DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE CONDUCTS VIRTUAL JOB FAIR

The Department of Defense (DoD) is conducting an Internet-based virtual job fair for individuals leaving military service from Europe, their family members, and DoD civilians in Europe. The cyberspace event is a first for the DoD, although virtual job fairs are not new to the private sector. The job fair began yesterday and will continue through March 15.

The Web-based European job fair offers military personnel, DoD employees, and family members access to about 100 firms offering more than 13,000 jobs worldwide. These jobs range from telecommunications to trucking to health care to retail sales. A private contractor developed the job fair site which can be reached via the European Command (EUCOM) Web site at http://www.eucom.mil. Access is limited to individuals leaving military service, DoD civilians and contractors in Europe, and their families.

Job seekers can create and post resumes and search an easy-to-use database with information about prospective jobs, employers, employment locations and benefits. Job seekers can also take advantage of an on-line library of career resources and send electronic mail (e-mail) directly to companies. These services will be available 24 hours a day, seven days a week for the duration of the virtual job fair.

For those individuals who do not have e-mail, the site offers links to free Web-based e-mail services, to include furnishing a unique e-mail address to any participant needing an address. In addition, EUCOM has arranged extended hours at many base sites, including libraries and transition assistance offices, to allow Service members, DoD civilians, and families without home access to take part in the virtual job fair. European Command has been pre-registering individuals for the fair since January, and more than 2,500 persons have logged in.

"Today, the virtual job fair is taking the place of the traditional, labor-intensive job fairs the Department has held in Europe since 1993," said Ollie Smith, deputy director of the Office of Family Policy. Smith manages the DoD's transition assistance programs. "We hope the response will be very positive," Smith said. "The virtual job fair allows people who couldn't attend traditional job fairs to participate in this important employment program. They can even do it on their own time, whenever and wherever they have access to a computer connected to the Web. Plus, they will be able to choose from more jobs and more employers than ever before."

"We think the companies will like it too," Smith added. "Since more people will be able to reach the companies and provide resumes, potential employers will have a larger, richer pool of applicants from which to choose. Eliminating the need to travel also saves these employers and the DoD time and money. We believe it will be a win-win situation for everyone involved."

For more information, contact Air Force Tech. Sgt. Beth Alber, European Command Public Affairs Office, at 011-49-711-680-8438.